Comptia Network Plus Career Retraining - The Options 2009

Currently in the UK, many workplaces would be severely hampered without assistance from support workers solving problems with PC's and networks, while giving advice to users on a constant basis. As we're all becoming more and more reliant on advanced technology, we additionally become increasingly dependent on the skilled and qualified networking professionals, who maintain those systems.
Finding job security in this economic down-turn is problematic. Companies can throw us out of the workforce at the drop of a hat - as and when it suits them. We can however reveal security at market-level, by searching for areas in high demand, together with a shortage of skilled staff.
Looking at the IT market, the recent e-Skills study demonstrated an over 26 percent shortage in trained professionals. Accordingly, for each 4 job positions in existence around the computer industry, companies are only able to locate properly accredited workers for three of them. This one concept alone shows why the UK needs a lot more new trainees to join the Information Technology market. As the Information Technology market is increasing at such a speed, could there honestly be a better sector worth taking into account for your new career.
As the computer market grants so many dazzling advancement opportunities for us - what are the questions we should be asking and what factors are important to consider?
A expert and specialised consultant (in direct contrast to a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your current level of ability and experience. There is no other way of working out your starting level of study. Remember, if you've got any previous certification, then you can sometimes expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone new to the industry. If this is your initial stab at studying to take an IT exam then it may be wise to start with some basic PC skills training first.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be proper direct-access 24x7 support with expert mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support. Find a good quality service where you can access help at any time you choose (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) You'll need direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - consistently being held in a queue for a call-back at a convenient time for them.
The very best training providers utilise several support facilities active in different time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, no matter what time you login, help is at hand, without any problems or delays. You can't afford to accept anything less. Support round-the-clock is the only viable option for technical training. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; usually though, we're out at work during the provided support period.
Often, trainers provide a shelf full of reference manuals. Obviously, this isn't much fun and not a very good way of taking things in. Many years of research has always confirmed that an 'involved' approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.
Fully interactive motion videos with demonstrations and practice sessions beat books hands-down. And they're far more fun. All companies must be pushed to demo some simple examples of their courseware. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a variety of interactive modules.
Go for CD and DVD ROM based physical training media whenever you can. You can then avoid all the difficulties of internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, very visibly, starting to replace the traditional routes into the industry - so why should this be? Industry is of the opinion that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - for considerably less. Higher education courses, for example, clog up the training with a lot of loosely associated study - and much too wide a syllabus. Students are then held back from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.
Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. All an employer has to do is know what they're looking for, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.
Including examinations up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with many companies. Consider the facts:
Certainly it isn't free - you're still coughing up for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. People who enter their exams one by one, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They're mindful of what they've paid and so are more inclined to make sure they're ready.
Isn't it outrageous to have to pay a training college in advance for examination fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and take it closer to home - not at somewhere of their bidding. Including money in your training package for exams (plus interest - if you're financing your study) is insane. Resist being talked into filling the training company's account with your hard-earned cash just to give them more interest! There are those who hope that you will never make it to exams - then they'll keep the extra money. The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.
With average Prometric and VUE examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
Be watchful that any accreditations you're considering doing will be recognised by employers and are bang up to date. The 'in-house' certifications provided by many companies are generally useless. From an employer's perspective, only the major heavyweights like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (as an example) provide enough commercial weight. Nothing else hits the mark.

By: Jason Kendall

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After 2 Decades in IT, Jason Kendall has turned his attention to IT education consultancy in the UK. To investigate Network+ Certification, visit LearningLolly Comptia Training.